Sonny Westerman's impact still felt on Freeport Invitational

Freeport International Baseball Invitational officials didn’t have enough time to honor co-founder Ralph “Sonny” Westerman at last year’s event.

Westerman died just a couple of weeks before the July 2017 gathering.

So invitational president Chuck Sarver made Thursday’s annual Sonny Westerman Old-Timers Game a tribute to the Freeport community icon.

Sarver presented a plaque to the Westerman family before the game, recognizing the annual event he brought to life in 1995.

“To his wife, Marilyn, and the Westerman family, Sonny touched the hearts of many throughout the world,” Sarver said in his presentation. “None of this would be possible were it not for the support of his family.”

His son, Ernie Westerman, showed up wearing his father’s trademark gray workshirt and trousers.

Beside organizing the event, Sonny Westerman spent countless hours manicuring Freeport’s Swartz Memorial Stadium diamond, starting around sunrise.

FIBI volunteer Dave Brestensky recalled the first time he arrived at the field to help out Westerman.

“I knew Sonny got down here about 6, so I came in at 6:30,” Brestensky said. “He was dragging the field on his John Deere, he waved his finger at me and said the one thing he can’t stand about a volunteer is showing up late. I didn’t know what to say.”

Brooklyn, N.Y’s Tony Major, who brought his Major’s Majors team to Freeport for many years, emailed a message that was read before the large crowd. Major described Westerman having “a gentlemanly desire to make our Brooklyn boys feel welcomed. He made a stand-up effort to make us feel like we were professionals. But the most important part of his presence was his insistence on discipline.”

Playing the game for the Freeport Classics against Old School was John Voyten, who played for Westerman’s first three Freeport American Legion teams from 1964-66. Voyten drew a walk.

Talk about old school. Westerman was a stickler for rules. During the early 1970s, American Legion players weren’t allowed to have their hair touch the collars of their jerseys.

Westerman set up a barber’s chair behind the backstop and cut the players’ hair to conformity, much to their shock.

Nelson Faris, who brought his Bourbon County (Ky.) teams to Freeport a number of times, said “Sonny was a great ambassador for baseball and for people of the Freeport area. I always enjoyed visiting with Sonny and his lovely wife.”

Tom McGough of Plum, who did the public address announcing for the game, recalls the times he did his “Sportsweek” show for WPCB-TV live during international week.

“Sonny knew somebody who knew Jack Lambert, and Sonny told me he’d get the Steelers great to come on my show,” McGough recalled. “He always delivered. My sons, Eric and Scott, would tell you a baseball highlight for them was being part of the Brooklyn team and playing here.”

That’s saying something, considering Scott has played in the majors with the Miami Marlins.

That’s the hold the Sonny’s Freeport Invitational has over many.

George Guido is a freelance writer.

George Guido is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact George at .